PAMELA S. TURNER
 
George Schaller's current projects include conservation of the last 50-60 Asiatic cheetahs in Iran. He's also working to create an international peace park along the borders of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
Royalties from "A Life in the Wild" will be donated to the Wildlife Conservation Society and directed to projects of George Schaller's choosing.
Tibetan wild asses in the Chang Tang, where George has worked for over 20 years
Click below to read recent magazine profiles of George Schaller: |
A LIFE IN THE WILD: GEORGE SCHALLER'S STRUGGLE TO SAVE THE LAST GREAT BEASTSGeorge Schaller's video message on the United Nations "Year of the Gorilla":
ISBN 978-0374345785
*Kirkus starred review *Booklist starred review *Northern California Book Award for Children's Literature *A NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Recommended Book *A Kirkus Best Book for Young Adults *NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book *CCBC Choice *2009 Cybils Award nominee *Booklist Top Ten Sci-Tech Book for Youth I first learned about George Schaller through Peter Matthiessen's wonderful book, "The Snow Leopard". Many years later, when describing George's pioneering work with mountain gorillas in my own book, "Gorilla Doctors," I began to wonder if anyone had written a biography of George for children. Astonishingly, no such biography existed. Even more astonishingly, George graciously agreed to work with me on the project. I am always writing for my twelve-year-old self, and this is just the sort of book I would have loved: stories of memorable beasts, insights into nature, and inspiration from a life of dedication and purpose. Kirkus starred review, October 2008: "In this gracefully written biography of naturalist and conservationist George Schaller, Turner focuses on six particular studies selected from more than 50 years of travel and research aimed at protecting not just signature species but whole ecosystems in remote parts of the world. Organizing her material both topically and chronologically, she covers his education and early research on the Alaskan North Slope, and work with gorillas, tigers, lions, snow leopards, pandas, asses and antelopes in Asia and Africa. Each chapter is headed with a map and extensively illustrated with intriguing photographs from Schaller’s own image collection. Pictures range from a full-page photo of a male gorilla protecting his family to a snapshot of a lion cub playing with a Schaller child. Sketches and pages from the scientist’s field notes also decorate the pages, giving readers an intimate sense of how this scientist works. This introduction to an environmental hero, the first for young readers, is timely and inspiring, and the endmatter appropriately includes suggestions for reader involvement in conservation activities." 
"The author of Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes (2005) offers another excellent introduction to animal conservation in this biography of pioneering environmentalist Schaller...Turner's stirring portrait spotlights a scientist's invaluable contributions to animal study; the gritty, thrilling particulars of fieldwork; and the urgent necessity to protect wild creatures and their habitats." Washington Post Book World: “Taking young readers to the ends of the earth . . . Pamela S. Turner offers an absorbing introduction to a scientist in the field—and in the savannah, the forest, the mountains and any other remote animal habitat you can think of.” National Science Teacher Association: “A Life in the Wild can obviously be used as an enrichment book, but it is far more than that . . .this is a wonderful book for kids to read to see that science is definitely not all done by Einstein-like caricatures in some messy lab.” 
“Turner neatly blends lively accounts of Schaller’s life in various wildernesses with wife and kids with more serious discussion of his work and seminal discoveries about animal behavior...Fans moving beyond the Scientists in the Field series wil find this just the more in-depth but still personal account of exciting scientific practice that they've been seeking.” School Library Journal: “This inspiring biography chronicles the conservationist's studies of wildlife around the world...The writing is both clear and lively.” VOYA: “Perhaps no other scientist has done more for wildlife conservation than George Schaller...Animal lovers and conservation-minded students will enjoy this excellent introduction to Schaller and his ideas.” Rutgers: "Pamela Turner has an uncanny ability to translate her careful research of Schaller's scientific insights and methods into an engrossing set of stories that are bound to leave a lasting impression on readers." |
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